For thousands of years the oak has been relied upon for a variety of uses, not only as a major food source, but wood for fire, utensils, and medicines. They are also critical habitat for a number of plant and animal species. Western Native American cultures actively managed their oak woodlands and savannahs in order to ensure the health of these trees for optimum acorn harvesting.

Recommendations from a panel reviewing food guidelines were released last week, and it’s just as we feared: The new recommendations take into account not just the health impacts of your diet but also the environmental impacts of your food choices.

It was hard to hear anything over the howls and high-pitched yips coming from the forest.
The coyotes — who knows how many — were working themselves into a frenzy while Dave Hewitt, part-time fish biologist and full-time bird nerd, stood patiently with an iPod in his hand.

In 2007, the owners of Whiskey Creek oyster hatchery on the Oregon coast lost almost all of their larvae — and had no idea why. The only clue was that the larval die-offs often occurred during intense upwelling events, when deep, acidic waters replace surface waters blown offshore.

To the editor:
After reading the letters to the editor regarding the tie plant, it becomes quite obvious that “fear” rules the thinking (It’s the What Ifs). It’s not “rocket science” to correct the problem!